Autopneumatic piano-player.



No, 689,364.y

Patented Dec. 3|, |`9o|.

F. ENGELHARDT. I `AUTCIPNEIJMITIC PIANO PLAYER.

(Applicxiton filed Mar. 1, 1901.)

` 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

. (No Modgl.)

mii

Wzesses:

4|Iu.`69,64. y Patented nec; 3|, |901.

F. ENGELHARUT. `murmmaummlc' mnu PLAYER.

(Applicatiop. 91nd. Hanf-1, 1961...

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

or bellows. b2 b2.

tail section of the pedal-operating bellows on that in turn act-nate the piano-keys, this con- UNirBD STATES kATENT Vnir-ica.

FREDERICK ENGELI-IARDT, OF ST. JOHNSVILLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ROTH AND ENGELHARDT, OF ST. JOHNSVILLE, NEV YORK, OOPARTNER- SHIP.

AUTO PNEU MATIC PIANO-PLAYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of 'Letters Patent No. 689,864, dated December 31, l19,01.` i

Application filed March 1, 1901.

To @ZZ whom t 'may con/cern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK ENGEL- HARDT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ofSt.Johnsvillc,Montgomery county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Autopneumatic Piano-Players, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to'various improvements in autopneumatic piano-players, and more particularly to means for operating the piano-pedals, either` by the perforated musicsheet or by hand, and means for controlling the expression of the instrument.

The invention'consists'in the various features of construction pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front view of the piano-player with some of the parts omitted. Fig. 2 is a vertical crosssection mainly on the line 2 2,Fig.1 Fig. 3,a detail front view ofthe air-filter; Fig. 4, a section on line 4 4, Fig. 3;-Fig. 5, a rear view of the piano-player; Fig. 6, a detail of the mechanism for operating the soft piano-pedals; Fig. 7, adetail of the mechanism for operating theA Valve e.. Fig. 8 is a detail of the safety-valve and expression-stop; Fig. 9, a plan Aof the chambered base b3; Fig. .10, an enlarged de-L line 10 10, Figs. 9 and 11; Fig. 11, a section on line 11 11, Fig. 10; Fig. 12, a plan of the base of chamber d; Fig. 13, atop view of chamber d; and Fig. 14 a cross-section online 14 14, Fig. 9.

The letter ct represents the frame of the piano-player, and b represents the suctionbellows, operated by treadles b b and adapted to exhaust the air from the flexible reservoirs Thesereservoirs are counected by the chambered base b3 and exhaust the air from vacuum-chests h4 by pipe b5. The duct-bridge c, over which the perforated music-sheet passes, communicates with a bellows in the vacuum-chest by pipes c' c2 in such a manner that when an opening ofthe music- Sheet passes over a yduct in the duct-bridge the air admitted will'cause the collapse of the bellows c3. These bellows actuate the levers struction not forming part of my invention serai No. 49,395. da modem and'being illustrated in Patent No. 598,419, issued to F. R. Goolman, February 1, 1898.

In order to iilter the air entering the bellows, I interpose between the pipes c c2 a lter or iinely-meshed diaphragm c4, set into a perforated rail c5, that connects the adjoining ends of pipes o' c2, Figs. 3 and 4.

The piano and forte pedals of the piano may be operated by the perforated music-sheet or byfhand, at the will of the player, the incohanism for operating the pedals by lthe musicsheet being as follows: The ducts b of bellows b2 connectby cross-duct 197 with a duct bs, Figs. 9 and 14, that draws the air out of a pair of suction-chambers d and f, by. which the piano and forte pedal levers, respectively, are worked. Within'the duct o7 vis placed a spring-actuated valve e, by which communication between ducts b 13S, and consequently between chambers d f and reservoirs b2, can be cut off. This valve mustbeopened when the pedals are to be operated bythe musicsheet and closed when they are to .be operated by hand. 1 The mechanism for setting this valve consists of a push-button e', having vcam e2, adapted tol engage a roller e4 of a rodea. This-rod is connectedtoone' end of a lever e5, the other end of which is connected by rod e6 to a lever e7, which is inv turn connected to valve e by Wire es. When' the button e is drawn out, Fig. 7, a strong spring e9 will push rod esdown to draw valve e from its seat against action of Weakspring i cw. When the vbutton e is pushed in, Fig. 2,

the rod e3 will be raised by engagement of the cam e2 with roller e4, and the Valve will bey released and will be closed. by its spring 610.

vVithin the chamber. d are arranged a pair of bellows g i, having the usual vents and communicating by tubes g i with the ductbridge c. The bellows g when expanded opens Valve g2 and closes a veut g3. The valve g2 when opened causes communication to be established through pipe g4 between suction-chamber d' and a small bellows g5, so that the latter is collapsed. 'The bellows g5 is provided with a'stop g, whchwill upon theA collapse of the bellows lbear against the upper bent end of a bar Q7, pivoted at g8 and having a series of notches g10 gil. The bar g7 IOS engages the end of a lever 7L, pivoted at 7i and influenced by a spring h2. To the lever 71, is connected by rod h3 a lever h4, fulcrumed at 71,5, Fig. 6, and engaging with its forked end a vertically-movable rod 7L, carrying an arm 717, that bears upon the soft piano-pedal. As thus far described the lever 7L will be. liberated whenever a perforation of the musicsheet passes over the duct-bridge c above tube g'. To draw the lever 7L down after being liberated, a perforation must be provided in the music-sheet sidewise and rearward of the Iirst perforation, which second perforation admits air into the tube i. This air will enter bellows t' to expand the same, and thereby open a valve i2 and close vent The valve i2 establishes communication between suction-chamber c7 and a bellows i4, to which the 'lever 7L is connected by rod Thus the admission of air into tube 11 causes the liberated lever 7L to be swung upon its pivot 7L', so that its free end comes into alinement with the top notch g10 of bar gi, while it will cause at the same time the arm 7L7 to bear upon the softpedal. After the perforation in the musicsheet has passed the tube g the bellows g5 will expand through vent g5, so that the bar g7 is swung toward the right by a spring g, and' the lever 7L thus becomes locked to the notch glo. The soft pedal thus remains depressed until air is again admitted to tube g', when the bar (/7 is swung to the left to liberate lever 71., which will be thrown up by its spring 72,2. The necessary expansion of bellows 114 is brought about by this spring and.

can: take place, owing to the admission of air through vent z3, which will open as soon as the perioration of the music-sheet has cleared l tube i'.

I'f a pianissimo action is desired, the lever 7L after having been drawn int-o notch gm is prevented from rising, but is drawn into a lower notch g11 of bar gi. To this4 effect a y second pair of holesis made in the musicsheet slightly in advance of each other over tubesg t", so that when air is readmitted to tube g' the bellows i4 will be further collapsed and will draw the lever 7i in-to the lower notch A single perforation over tube g' will .aga-in cause the rising of lever 7L into its normal position in the manner previously described.

The forte pedal of the piano is operated through the suction-chamberf, comm unicating with bellowsf, which is operated through air-tubef2 in manner described in relation to thel soft pedal. The bellows f upon collapsing will swing, through rod f3, a leverj upon its pivotj against action of springjz to lower rod-js, and thus swing leverj'l upon its pivot js. This will cause the sliding rod 7'6 to lower the arm j?, Fig. 2, upon the forte pedal in manner similar to the operation of the soft pedal. 'lhenotched bar Q7 and bellows giare not duplithand.

admitted through opening 7a2. consist of a cover 7a4, arranged above opening :7c2 and operated by hand through push-but- ?ton 705 and spring-influenced rod 796.

cated for the forte pedal, because a double `hand, the valve c is first closed by button c', so that the suction is cut off from the chambers d andf, and consequently from bellows 4, g5, and f. The levers 7L4j4 are respectively connected by spring-influenced rods hsja with bell-cranks hijQ, adapted to be operated by When either of these bell-cranks is manipulated, the corresponding lever 71,4 orj4 will be swung upon its pivot to lower the arm 7L7 orj7 upon its pedal.

The bellows b2 are provided with an airoutlet b9, Fig. 2, which is normally closed by a spring-valve 7c, arranged within a valve-box 7o', having opening 7a2. Vhen the suction in the bellows becomes excessive and they collapse to an undue extent, a pin 7a3, projecting from the movable section of the same, will raise the valve 7c olf its seat to admit air into l the bellows through opening 7a2 and the open l valve 7c.

In order to enable the operator to control the expression of the instrument by regulatl ing the strength of suction in the bellows b2, means are provided for controlling the air These means When the cover 7a4 is lowered by button 7c, the iingress of air through opening 7a2 will be checked, so that even if the valve 7s is opened air cannot freely enter the bellows h2. When the cover 7a4 is raised off its opening 7a2, the air will iiow freely into the bellows upon the lifting of the valve 7c.

What I claim isl. In an autopneumatic piano-player, the

vcombination of an arm adapted to engage a pedal, with pneumatic means for operating said arm, a hand-lever for operating said arm independently of the pneumatic means, a valve for cutting oif suction from the pneumatic means, and means for operating said valve, substantially as specific 2. In an autopneumatic piano-playertl1e combination of bellows having a valve, with means for opening the same upon an excessive collapse ofthe bellows, a perforated valvebox inclosing the valve, and means for controlling the ad mission of air to said valve-box, substantially as specified.

Signed by me at St.. Johnsville, Montgomery county, State ofNew York, this 25th day of January, 1901.

FREDERICK ENGELI-IARDT.

Witnesses:

EDWARD R. HALL, ALFRED ENGELHARDT.

`loo

IIO 

